THE Zimbabwe Sevens Rugby team’s campaign to become a core member starts in Hong Kong after they were confirmed as one of the 28 teams for the expanded version of this year’s Cathay Pacific-HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, which will be hosted by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) from March 22-24.
DANIEL NHAKANISO
The teams were announced on Thursday by organisers. Other African countries are Tunisia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
This year will mark the first time in the 38-year history of the Hong Kong Sevens that 28 teams have been hosted, up from the current 24-team format which was first adopted in 1984.
The 2013 Hong Kong Sevens will again host two side-by-side competitions, a 16-team HSBC Sevens World Series competition for the 15 core teams on the series plus Hong Kong, winners of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series in 2012, and a 12-team pre-qualification tournament for promotion to core team status in 2014.
The 16 teams participating in the core competition are Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Kenya, New Zealand, Portugal, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, United States, Wales and Hong Kong.
“We look forward to hosting the biggest and best Hong Kong Sevens this year,” said HKRFU chairman Trevor Gregory.
“The decision to host the pre-qualification tournament alongside the HSBC Sevens World Series competition continues to reinforce Hong Kong’s unique role as the host of the world’s largest and most international rugby sevens competition.”
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The Cheetahs, as the Zimbabwe Sevens side is affectionately known, are currently in camp ahead of the tournament and ultimately the IRB Sevens Rugby World Cup in Russia in June.
Winning last season’s Confederation of African Rugby Sevens earned the Cheetahs the right to direct qualification for the London Sevens when the qualifying tournament to unearth next season’s three new core teams takes place.
However, in Hong Kong, the Cheetahs will join 12 other teams in a pre-qualification tournament with the top four teams from this competition joining Hong Kong, and the three bottom-placed teams from this season in an eight-team competition at the London Sevens in May, to decide promotion to the next year’s series.
The draw for the Hong Kong Sevens will take place on February 21 after the completion of the US Sevens in Los Angeles.
